Spiritual bathing is one of the most widespread practices there is, and it is also one of the most practical. You add the herbs to the water, you get in, and the ritual has a beginning and an end that your body actually registers. The 13 Herbs blend is a classic of the botanica shelf, sold under that name across a great many shops and used for general cleansing rather than for one narrow purpose. An ounce and a quarter is a working quantity: enough for several baths, small enough to keep in a cabinet without taking over. Key Features of the 13 Herbs Aromatic Bath Herb A traditional prepared blend. This is a long-standing botanica formula rather than a novelty mix, sold under the same name across the trade for decades. A general cleansing blend. Used for clearing and refreshing rather than aimed at one specific outcome, which makes it a reasonable first bath herb to keep on hand. Loose herb, not a bag. You control how much goes in, and it can be steeped and strained or added directly depending on how you prefer to work and how much you enjoy cleaning a drain. Product Details Weight: 1 1/4 oz Format: loose dried herb blend For external ritual use only. Do not eat, brew as a tea, or otherwise consume it. The maker does not publish a full component list, so we cannot tell you exactly which thirteen herbs are in it. If you have a known plant allergy, contact us before ordering and we will tell you what we can. Because the components are not disclosed, anyone pregnant, nursing, or managing a health condition should check with a clinician before use. Patch test before a full bath: steep a small amount, apply to the inner forearm, and wait to see how your skin responds. Keep out of reach of children and animals Steep and strain rather than adding loose herb directly if your drain is temperamental The Spiritual Significance Herbal bathing runs through Hoodoo and conjure, through folk Catholicism across Latin America and the Caribbean, through Espiritismo, and through a great many other practices besides. The shared logic is that water carries things away, and that washing deliberately, with intent and with prepared herbs, is different from washing to get clean. Several of those traditions are initiatory, and where that is the case the correct preparation and use of a bath is taught within a house by someone with standing to teach it. Direction of washing, what is said, what happens to the water afterward, and when a bath is appropriate at all are all things that carry specific meaning inside specific practices. We stock the herbs; we are not going to teach you anyone's rite. What is safe to say generally: this is a cleansing bath, it is used before or after something rather than as a daily habit, and most practitioners treat the disposal of the water as part of the working rather than an afterthought. How To Use the 13 Herbs Aromatic Bath Herb Patch test first if you have not used this blend before. It costs you a day and tells you what you need to know. Steep a handful in hot water like a strong tea, let it cool to a comfortable temperature, then strain the solids out. Add the liquid to a drawn bath, or pour it over yourself as a final rinse if your practice works that way rather than by soaking. Keep your intention simple and stated. Cleansing baths do not generally need elaborate wording, and most traditions favor plain speech here. Follow your own tradition on what happens to the water and to the used herb afterward. Where a practice specifies disposal, that instruction is usually doing real work. Pairs Well With Hex Breaker (Rompe Zaraguey) Bath Herb: a more specific bath from the same shelf, for uncrossing rather than general cleansing. Blessed Holy Water, 4 oz: commonly used alongside bath work in the same traditions. Full Moon Water Spray, 8 oz: for the room, once the bath has dealt with the person. Spiritual Cleansings and Psychic Defenses by Robert Laremy: a practical text on cleansing method. Cotton Tea Bags, Set of 500: for steeping the blend without straining afterward. Frequently Asked Questions Can I drink this as a tea? No. This is prepared and sold for external ritual bathing only, the components are not disclosed, and it is not a food product. Do not brew it to drink, and do not add it to anything you intend to consume. What are the thirteen herbs? The maker does not publish the formula, and we would rather tell you that than guess at a list. If you have a plant allergy and need to know before ordering, contact us and we will pass on whatever the current lot documentation gives us. Is it safe during pregnancy? We cannot say, because we cannot tell you what is in it, and several herbs common in bath blends are avoided during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or nursing, check with a clinician before using it rather than taking the risk on an undisclosed blend. Do I add the herbs straight to the tub? You can, and some practitioners prefer the contact with the plant matter. Steeping and straining is easier on your plumbing and gives a more even result. Either approach is traditional; the drain is the only real consideration. How often should I use it? Cleansing baths are generally worked around something rather than daily: before a working, after a difficult stretch, at a turning point. Most traditions treat them as occasional and deliberate rather than routine.
